


The American

by showzen



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Past Character Death, Set After Season 3, Work Skins in Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-07-07 21:24:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19858252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/showzen/pseuds/showzen
Summary: Joyce sends Hopper e-mails after he's gone.





	The American

07-04-1985

From: Joyce

Subject: Hello

To: Hop

Hey Hop.  
Murray set up this new thing for me, called "E-Mail". I don't really understand it, but he says it's "the future", so I'm not about to ignore him. You know how up to date he is with all this new tech stuff. Not like me or you. Don't get all weird, by the way, he's just a friend, you know that. Besides, there's the _other_ thing too.  
Will and El are doing great. They're getting along amazingly, they're just like they were siblings all along now. He's getting her into Dungeons & Dragons, you know I don't understand that stuff, but she seems to really enjoy it. Our kids are both such little nerds. Whenever we go back to visit Hawkins, they end up holed up in the Wheelers' basement for hours with all their friends, just playing that all day. I know they're growing up now, but I guess you still like what you like, you know?  
El and Mike are still, you know, boyfriend-girlfriend. I think the distance has cooled them off a bit though, lucky for me. They're all doing fine. I'm doing fine.  
I hope you are too, wherever you are.  
Love you, miss you every day  
Joyce  


10-31-1985

From: Joyce

Subject: New developments

To: Hop

  
Hey Hop.  
The kids just went out for Halloween, so I thought I'd take the brief respite to talk to you. I love them, but having two teenagers in the house... I hardly have time to breathe, forget writing to you!  
I'm glad Will's confidence is coming back. It's slow going, but he's almost back to the sweet kid he was before... everything. He was pretty nervous about going out tonight, after everything that happened last year, but El was all like, "I protect you". She's such a sweet kid, Hop. She's so much like her dad. And you know she's always wanted to go out trick-or-treating. I know they're getting older but I don't know if they'll ever be too old for trick-or-treating. They're still such kids.  
Jonathan's moved out, I forgot to say! He and Nancy got an apartment up in the city, they're trying to make it as journalists. Well, Nance's a journalist - she's a damn good writer too, Hop - Jonathan's a photographer, but you could've guessed that.  
In terms of what I actually wanted to talk about... Murray's been doing some digging.  
I'm gonna get to the point. I know you're dead. Or you're supposed to be, anyway. But Murray doesn't believe it. You know he's ever the conspiracy theorist. Anyway, we've been meeting up occasionally - again, don't get weird, think about who this is, both for him and for me - and he's gonna keep looking into it. I don't wanna type out the details. I don't know who might be watching.  
I hope you're not dead. I really do.  
Love you, miss you every day,  
Joyce

12-20-1985

From: Joyce

Subject: New developments, part 2

To: Hop

  
Hey Hop.  
Do you remember the first time I came to you when Will went missing, back in 83? You said that usually when kids go missing they're with a parent, and I told you Lonnie used to say Will was queer, and you asked if he was, and I got mad? Turns out you were right from the start.  
Will just told me he's gay.  
El's known for a few months now, and all his friends back in Hawkins know, and - hell, he told Jonathan years ago, he's known longer than anyone - but nobody else. We're gonna keep it that way for a while, at least until he's older and you know, he starts wanting to settle down with someone. He talks with Murray a lot these days. I guess it's helpful for Will because, you know.  
I don't really know what to do. Obviously he's still my baby, he's always my baby and I love him whether he's gay, straight, girl, boy, human, alien. I'm sure you feel just the same way about El - I do too. But I'm just worried for him, y'know? I know it's legal and everything, it was legal 20 years ago, he's not gonna get arrested, but... people aren't exactly understanding even now, are they? He still gets called a queer at school, only thing is, they don't know they're right.  
Murray's still working on you. We've had a little progress.  
Love you, miss you every day,  
Joyce

01-01-1986

From: Joyce

Subject: 

To: The American

  
The week is long. The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west. A trip to China sounds nice if you tread lightly.  
We know where you are.  
See you real soon, Hop.


End file.
